As the shards of the obelisk hovered midair, suspended in a weightless field of energy, the chamber around them transformed. Walls dissolved into swirling projections of stars, nebulae, and ancient civilizations—some human, some utterly alien.
Seojun staggered back, overwhelmed. "What is this…?"
Nova's visor flickered with data. "A memory construct. This entire place was built to preserve… a moment."
The air rippled, and a new figure emerged in the center of the room—an echo of the past. Humanoid in shape, robed in silken layers that shimmered with starlight, eyes glowing with intelligence too vast to be measured.
Elias gasped. "That's… that's not human."
The figure spoke. Its voice was not sound, but understanding.
"You who carry the Seed of Continuum… know this: we were the first to fall. The first to rise. And now, the cycle spins once more."
Seojun stepped forward. "Who are you?"
"I am what remains of the Aurathi. We found the Seed at the edge of time. We thought we could control it. We were wrong."
Hana narrowed her eyes. "What happened to your people?"
The projection darkened. Stars blinked out one by one.
"The Seed is not a weapon. It is not a tool. It is a test. And we failed. We fractured. Those who sought to ascend became the Harbingers. The others became dust."
Nova's breath caught. "The Harbingers… they're real?"
"They never died. They wait. They hunger for another cycle."
Seojun's heartbeat thundered in his chest. "Why me? Why now?"
"Because you remember. And because they have found Earth."
The projection pulsed once—then fractured into a thousand lights, each one zipping into the walls, into Seojun, into the Seed.
The chamber dimmed.
Silence.
Then Nova whispered, "Guys… we're not alone."
From the shadows at the edge of the memory chamber, shapes emerged—slender, armored, gliding on silent feet. Their eyes glowed the same eerie blue as the Seed.
Elias stepped back. "They found us."
Seojun clenched his fists, energy crackling from his skin. "No… we found them."
And the war for the truth had just begun.